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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

‘Did he say anything in there?’ she asks, and Robin shakes his head.

‘He’s confused. There’s definitely something wrong,’ Robin replies. ‘This isn’t Finn. He wouldn’t do something like this.’

Craig looks at him, her gaze resolute.

‘You know as well as I do that people do strange things. Even the people we love,’ she says, after a pause. ‘Did you caution him?’

‘No.’ Robin expected the scowl he receives in return. ‘He wouldn’t understand it anyway, boss. He’s completely out of it.’

‘And the body?’

‘Definitely dead. And starting to stink the place up.’

Craig grimaces. ‘Pathologist en route. Hopefully, he’ll be able to tell us more.’ She looks at Robin. ‘And we’ll need a formal statement from you. Once you’ve got cleaned up. I want that suit for forensics.’

Robin looks down at the white coverall. It’s streaked with blood, red soaked into the material.

They stand in silence as the SOCOs descend on the van in a cloud of white.

‘I want to be involved,’ Robin says at last.

Craig sighs, her gaze locked on the paramedics as they wheel Finn away to the waiting ambulance, one of the uniforms accompanying them as an escort. ‘You know full well that’s not possible. You’re personally involved.’

‘He didn’t do this,’ Robin protests again, weakly.

‘He was locked in a van with the victim,’ Craig begins. ‘Nobody else could get inside. Multiple witnesses heard him say it was his fault. We’ll follow procedure, of course, but it’s not looking good, wouldn’t you agree, DS Butler?’

She uses his police title deliberately, highlighting the fact that, as a cop, he shouldn’t doubt the evidence either.

‘I won’t touch anything,’ Robin says. ‘I won’t say anything. Consider me a silent bystander. You can have one of your DCs with me at all times.’

Craig closes her eyes for a moment in frustration. ‘Christ, Butler. You’re making my life difficult, you know that?’ She rolls her eyes. ‘Fine. Come along, see for yourself. But if I hear you have so much as sniffed at a witness, then you’re out, okay?’

‘Fine.’

‘Now, I need to update my DCS on how this shitshow is going. If it’s okay with you,’ she finishes sarcastically and leaves, her mobile phone clutched in her hand.

Robin watches her go, then turns back to the silver van. It’s easy to identify the crime scene manager, already giving orders, locking down the scene, preserving the evidence. Robin’s glad that DI Craig has given him permission to come along, but the sinking feeling in his stomach is telling him something he knows intuitively as a cop.

Craig’s right.

In terms of murder charges, this is one of the most open-and-shut cases he’s seen.

9

When they get back to the police station, Josh seems to adapt well to his new responsibilities as acting DS.